Landmark Mall Demolition Starts With New Development Planned

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Landmark Mall chapter is coming to a close in Alexandria. Demolition on the former mall began Thursday as it will be replaced by a mixed-use development anchored by Inova Alexandria Hospital.

The 52-acre Landmark Mall site will become a mixed-use development rebranded as the West End Alexandria development. The development will include the Inova Alexandria hospital, residential, retail, commercial and entertainment uses as well as central plaza, parks and public spaces, transit hub and Alexandria Fire Department's relocated Fire Station 208.

Inova Alexandria Hospital will be relocated from its current Seminary Road location. Inova will invest $1 billion to create an expanded hospital with a larger emergency room, private patient rooms, and the Inova Schar Cancer Institute.

Demolition of the site will apply to all structures except the parking garage, according to the project website. The parking garage will undergo renovations and reopen with the project.

Demolition will be followed by rough grading of the site starting in late 2022 and infrastructure construction estimated to begin in the latter half of 2023. The first buildings are estimated to deliver in 2025.

Earlier in the week, the new transit center at Landmark Mall opened. The temporary transit center will serve bus riders for at least two years during construction activities. Pedestrians can access the transit center via N. Van Dorn Street. The transit center serves Metrobus routes 29K and 29N and DASH routes 30, 32 and 35.

Landmark Mall closed in 2017, while the Sears store remained open until its closing in 2020. The vacant was temporarily used by Carpenter's Shelter while its own facility was being rebuilt as well as a filming location for "Wonder Woman 1984."

After years of uncertainty about redevelopment envisioned by mall owner Howard Hughes Corporation, an initial redevelopment agreement was reached between the city and joint venture of Foulger-Pratt, The Howard Hughes Corporation, and Seritage Growth in late 2020. City Council approved the redevelopment agreements in summer 2021.